Napalm Ranger
For other units also named Ranger, see Ranger. "Need a light, Chuck?" :- Napalm Ranger Tactical Analysis *'Just Call Me Lucifer:' The Napalm Ranger is an invaluable asset to the South Vietnamese Army, capable of attacking large areas while doing horrific damage to infantry. Their heavy armour lets them close with the enemy in relative safety. *'Clearin' Traps for the Troops (and more):' In addition to being great at killing infantry, napalm is also effective at clearing areas from dense jungle, detonating mines and collapsing pitfalls, making Napalm Rangers ideal for clearing the path for the rest of your forces. Usefully, the flamethrower's napalm tends to stick to its target, continuing to do damage even if the target is no longer being fired upon. *'Moments of Doubt and Pain:' While tough, these soldiers are still human and are vulnerable to anti-infantry weapons. Napalm is next to useless against tanks and short range and high cost are also prohibitive. The weight of the armour forces the Ranger to a walk at best, and the fact that the tank tends to explode doesn't make it better; luckily, some experienced Napalm Rangers manage to get hold of metal inserts for their armour, which usually prolongs their time on the field. *'Blitzkrieg rage:' Napalm Rangers can put everything they have into a rush of speed to get them into or out of a situation that desperately needs their attention. Though they move quickly during this sprint, they are unable to attack for the duration, and must spend a brief period of time recovering. Operational History Transcript of the Allied Nations War Crimes Commission Case 3414 Initial Review "Alleged Use of Incendiary Weapons by the ARVN 81st Ranger Group" May 25th, 1969 Speakers: * Lt. General Đỗ Cao Trí, Commanding General of the 81st Ranger Group * General William Laisné, Allied War Crimes Commission * Thomas Bryan, Civilian Specialist Laisné : Is my coffee here yet? I swear, they schedule these earlier every day. "The general is informed by an aide that the review has started. He refuses to acknowledge the aide until his coffee arrives." Laisné : Much better. Right, case 3414... which was this again, Tom? Bryan : Ahem, "Alleged Use of Incendiary Weapons by the ARVN 81st Ranger Group, in violation of International Weapons Restrictions detailed in the 1959 Geneva Protocol 2." Laisné : (expletive deleted), they fit that all on the title page? Impressive. Trí : I've heard it said that bureaucracy is the art of using many words to say very little. Laisné : That sounds spot on, if you ask me. Bryan : Gentlemen, please! This is serious! If these allegations are true, this represents a serious breach of international law. Laisné : Oh, the public relations guys won't like that. Bryan : (ignoring Laisné) ...and the evidence is pretty conclusive. There are several photos in this file which appear to show members of the 81st Rangers, an elite division of South Vietnamese special forces, using what appear to be WW2 era flamethrowers. General Trí, what do you have to say for yourself? Trí : Indeed, those are my troops, in operation about two months ago, cleaning up the mess left by the Tet Offensive. Bryan : And the weapons? The flamethrowers? Trí : Yes. My troops made extensive use of flamethrowers in their operations. We acquired them before the operation from an arms dealer out of Thailand, and shipped them in medical containers. They were invaluable for burning the VC out of their jungle strongholds. Unlike regular weapons, you cannot hide from a flamethrower, and it leaves the jungle clear for soldiers following up. I'd estimate the flamethrowers alone accounted for roughly two hundred communist casualties in a two week period. Laisné : Serves the (expletive deleted) right! Bryan : This is appalling! We simply cannot let this go on! Laisné : You know, Tom, for once you are actually talking sense. Tell you what, Trí. This is clearly a case of a commanding officer trying to do what was best for his men and overstepping his bounds. My men will take those weapons off your hands and ship 'em back to the rest of the ARVN to be disposed of. We'll give them the schematics as well, so they can identify the weapons and destroy them on sight. And I'll see to it that some of my discretionary funds go towards acquiring some suitable replacements. Tri : That sounds perfectly reasonable. Laisné : Excellent, I'm glad that's sorted. Now, what's to eat around here... Behing the Scenes * The Napalm Ranger's appearance is partly based on the Comedian from the Watchmen graphic novel and movie. Just the Stats Category:Units Category:Vietnam